1. Field of Invention
The presented invention relates to the method of producing ultra-thin emulsions and dispersions in liquid media with the aid of hydrodynamic cavitation. This method may find application in chemistry, food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics processing and other branches of industry.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the present time, there are many known methods for producing emulsions and dispersions. Valve homogenizers are used in the majority of cases for producing finer emulsions. Typical standard valve homogenizers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,242,809; 2,504,678; 2,882,025; and 4,081,863. In these devices,the hydrodynamic liquid flow passes through orifices between the valve and the seat, where high shear forces are achieved that disperse the emulsion drops. Insofar as the high shear forces are created with the aid of turbulence in these devices, the production of ultra-thin emulsions and dispersions is difficult in that it requires a very high energy consumption. More preferable for producing ultra-thin emulsions is using the effect of collapsing cavitation bubbles. There is known means for producing emulsions and dispersions in which the emulsification and dispersion processes occur as a result of the influence of cavitation created in the course of the processed hydrodynamic flow as a result of a change in the geometric stream. For example, in the homogenizer according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,445, a venturi tube is used to create hydrodynamic cavitation.
Also known is a method for obtaining a free disperse system and device for effecting same according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,654, in which hydrodynamic cavitation is created due to the positioning of a baffle body in the flow. However, the known methods for producing emulsions and dispersions with the aid of hydrodynamic cavitation have not been sufficiently effective. This is associated with the situation that cavitation is created in the large volume of the flow-through chamber of the device downstream of the local constriction of the flow. Therefore, the cavitation bubbles are distributed in the large volume, at great distances from each other, and consequently, their relative concentration in the processed medium volume is low. During the collapse of the cavitation bubbles, it is not possible to achieve a super high level of energy dissipation which allows for the production of submicron emulsions and dispersions.
The presented invention involving the method of and apparatus for producing ultra-thin emulsions and dispersions allows for the production of high concentration fields of collapsing cavitation bubbles in very small volumes through the hydrodynamic course. A super high level of energy dissipation is generated in these volumes that allows for the production of submicron emulsions and dispersions.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved method of and apparatus for producing ultra-thin emulsions and dispersions which is simple in design, effective in use, and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.